“Not to brag, but my kid’s palate is so refined that they can tell they’re going to hate the food without even tasting it’
As a parent, dealing with a fussy eater can be a frustrating experience. However, it's important to remember that children's eating habits are shaped over time and can be influenced by various factors.
Here are some tips to encourage healthy eating habits in fussy eaters
Be a Role Model: Children learn by observing and imitating their parents. Therefore, it's important to model healthy eating habits by making healthy food choices, eating a variety of foods, and enjoying meal times together.
Involve Them in Meal Planning and Preparation: Involve your child in meal planning and preparation. Let them pick out a vegetable or fruit that they want to try or help with preparing the meal. Children are more likely to eat what they helped prepare and have a sense of ownership over the food.
Offer a Variety of Foods: Offering a variety of foods can help expand your child's taste buds and palate. Include new foods alongside familiar foods that your child enjoys. Offer a variety of textures, colours, and flavours to keep mealtime interesting.
Be Patient and Persistent: It can take up to 15 tries before a child accepts a new food, so be patient and persistent. Encourage your child to take a small bite and praise them for trying. Avoid pressuring or forcing them to eat, as this can create negative associations with food.
Make Mealtime Fun: Create a positive and fun mealtime environment by serving food in creative ways, such as arranging vegetables into fun shapes or making a colourful fruit salad. Use positive language and avoid making negative comments about food or your child's eating habits.
Limit Snacking: Limit snacking between meals to ensure your child is hungry at meal times. Offer healthy snacks, such as fruits or vegetables, instead of high-calorie, high-sugar snacks.
Seek Professional Help: If your child's fussy eating habits are causing concern, in terms of their growth, weight, energy levels or immunity, please seek professional help from a registered dietitian or paediatrician.
In conclusion, encouraging healthy eating habits in fussy eaters requires patience, persistence, and creativity. By being a positive role model, involving your child in meal planning and preparation, offering a variety of foods, and creating a fun mealtime environment, you can help expand your child's palate and foster healthy eating habits.